(a) No person, group of persons, association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, shall maintain a family child care home, as described in § 19a-77, without a license issued by the Commissioner of Early Childhood. Licensure forms shall be obtained from the Office of Early Childhood. Applications for licensure shall be made to the commissioner on forms provided by the office and shall contain the information required by regulations adopted under this section. The licensure and application forms shall contain a notice that false statements made therein are punishable in accordance with § 53a-157b. Applicants shall state, in writing, that they are in compliance with the regulations adopted by the commissioner pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. Before a family child care home license is granted, the office shall make an inquiry and investigation which shall include a visit and inspection of the premises for which the license is requested. Any inspection conducted by the office shall include an inspection for evident sources of lead poisoning. The office shall provide for a chemical analysis of any paint chips found on such premises. Neither the commissioner nor the commissioner’s designee shall require an annual inspection for homes seeking license renewal or for licensed homes, except that the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee shall make an unannounced visit, inspection or investigation of each licensed family child care home at least once every year. A licensed family child care home shall not be subject to any conditions on the operation of such home by local officials, other than those imposed by the office pursuant to this subsection, if the home complies with all local codes and ordinances applicable to single and multifamily dwellings.

(b) (1) No person shall act as an assistant or substitute staff member to a person or entity maintaining a family child care home, as defined in § 19a-77, without an approval issued by the commissioner. Any person seeking to act as an assistant or substitute staff member in a family child care home shall submit an application for such approval to the office. Applications for approval shall: (A) Be made to the commissioner on forms provided by the office, (B) contain the information required by regulations adopted under this section, and (C) be accompanied by a fee of fifteen dollars. The approval application forms shall contain a notice that false statements made in such form are punishable in accordance with § 53a-157b.

(2) A licensee of a family child care home who is attending a medical appointment, receiving medical treatment or completing education or training may use a substitute staff member who has been approved pursuant to this subsection to provide child care services for a duration of time that is greater than one hour while such licensee is absent, provided such licensee provides advance notice to the parents or guardians of children enrolled in the family child care home of the dates and times such substitute staff member will be providing such child care services and such licensee continues to maintain control of the day-to-day operations of the family child care home. No such use of a substitute staff member under this subdivision shall constitute a transfer or franchise of the family child care home.

(c) The commissioner shall require each initial applicant or prospective employee of a family child care home in a position requiring the provision of care to a child, including an assistant or substitute staff member, and each household member who is eighteen years of age or older, to submit to comprehensive background checks, including state and national criminal history records checks. The criminal history records checks required pursuant to this subsection shall be conducted in accordance with § 29-17a. The commissioner shall also request a check of the state child abuse registry established pursuant to § 17a-101k. The commissioner shall notify each licensee of the provisions of this subsection. For purposes of this subsection, “household member” means any person, other than the person who is licensed to conduct, operate or maintain a family child care home, who resides in the family child care home, such as the licensee’s spouse or children, tenants and any other occupant.

(d) An application for initial licensure pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by a fee of forty dollars and such license shall be issued for a term of four years. An application for renewal of a license issued pursuant to this section shall be accompanied by a fee of forty dollars and a certification from the licensee that any child enrolled in the family child care home has received age-appropriate immunizations in accordance with regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (f) of this section. A license issued pursuant to this section shall be renewed for a term of four years. In the case of an applicant submitting an application for renewal of a license that has expired, and who has ceased operations of a family child care home due to such expired license, the commissioner may renew such expired license within thirty days of the date of such expiration upon receipt of an application for renewal that is accompanied by such fee and such certification.

(e) An application for initial staff approval or renewal of staff approval shall be accompanied by a fee of fifteen dollars. Such approvals shall be issued or renewed for a term of two years.

(f) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to ensure that family child care homes, as described in § 19a-77, meet the health, educational and social needs of children utilizing such homes. Such regulations shall (1) ensure that the family child care home is treated as a residence, and not an institutional facility, (2) specify that each child be protected as age-appropriate by adequate immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule of active immunization adopted pursuant to § 19a-7f, (3) specify conditions under which family child care home providers may administer tests to monitor glucose levels in a child with diagnosed diabetes mellitus, and administer medicinal preparations, including controlled drugs specified in the regulations by the commissioner, to a child receiving child care services at a family child care home pursuant to a written order of a physician licensed to practice medicine in this or another state, an advanced practice registered nurse licensed to prescribe in accordance with § 20-94a or a physician assistant licensed to prescribe in accordance with § 20-12d, and the written authorization of a parent or guardian of such child, (4) specify appropriate standards for extended care and intermittent short-term overnight care, (5) specify that a family child care home shall immediately notify the parent or guardian of a child enrolled in such home if such child exhibits or develops an illness or is injured while in the care of such home, (6) specify that a family child care home shall create a written record of any such illness or injury, which shall, (A) include, but not be limited to, (i) a description of such illness or injury, (ii) the date, time of occurrence and location of such illness or injury, (iii) any responsive action taken by an employee of such home, and (iv) whether such child was transported to a hospital emergency room, doctor’s office or other medical facility as a result of such illness or injury, (B) be provided to the parent or guardian of such child not later than the next business day, and (C) be maintained by such home for a period of not less than two years and be made immediately available upon the request of the Office of Early Childhood, and (7) specify that a family child care home shall maintain any video recordings created at such home for a period of not less than thirty days, and make such recordings immediately available upon the request of the Office of Early Childhood. The commissioner shall inform each licensee, by way of a plain language summary provided not later than sixty days after the regulation’s effective date, of any new or changed regulations adopted under this subsection with which a licensee must comply. For purposes of this subsection, “illness” means fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, headache, persistent coughing, persistent crying or any other condition deemed an illness by the Commissioner of Early Childhood.

(g) Any child who (1) presents a certificate, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health pursuant to § 19a-7q, signed by a physician, a physician assistant or an advanced practice registered nurse stating that, in the opinion of such physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, the immunizations required pursuant to regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (f) of this section are medically contraindicated, (2) in the case of a child who is enrolled in kindergarten through twelfth grade, presented a statement, prior to April 28, 2021, that such immunizations are contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, or (3) in the case of a child who is enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program or below, (A) presented a statement, prior to April 28, 2021, that such immunizations are contrary to the religious beliefs of such child or the parents or guardian of such child, and (B) presents a written declaration, in a form prescribed by the Commissioner of Public Health, from a physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse stating that an immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by the schedule of active immunization adopted pursuant to § 19a-7f has been given to such child and that any additional necessary immunizations of such student against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, mumps, rubella, haemophilus influenzae type B and any other vaccine required by such schedule of active immunization are in process under guidelines specified by the Commissioner of Public Health or as recommended for the child by the physician, physician assistant or advanced practice registered nurse, shall be exempt from the immunization requirements set forth in such regulations. The statement described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of this subsection shall be acknowledged, in accordance with the provisions of sections 1-32, 1-34 and 1-35, by (i) a judge of a court of record or a family support magistrate, (ii) a clerk or deputy clerk of a court having a seal, (iii) a town clerk, (iv) a notary public, (v) a justice of the peace, or (vi) an attorney admitted to the bar of this state.

(h) Any child who is enrolled in a preschool program or other prekindergarten program or below on or before April 28, 2021, who presented, prior to April 28, 2021, the statement described in subparagraph (A) of subdivision (3) of subsection (g) of this section, but did not present the written declaration described in subparagraph (B) of subdivision (3) of subsection (g) of this section shall comply, on or before September 1, 2022, or not later than fourteen days after applying to enroll in the family child care home, whichever is later, with the immunization requirements set forth in the regulations adopted pursuant to subsection (f) of this section.

(i) Upon the declaration by the Governor of a civil preparedness emergency pursuant to § 28-9 or a public health emergency pursuant to § 19a-131a, the commissioner may waive the provisions of any regulation adopted pursuant to this section if the commissioner determines that such waiver would not endanger the life, safety or health of any child. The commissioner shall prescribe the duration of such waiver, provided such waiver shall not extend beyond the duration of the declared emergency. The commissioner shall establish the criteria by which a waiver request shall be made and the conditions for which a waiver will be granted or denied. The provisions of § 19a-84 shall not apply to a denial of a waiver request under this subsection.

(j) Any family child care home may provide child care services to homeless children and youths, as defined in 42 USC 11434a, as amended from time to time, for a period not to exceed ninety days without complying with any provision in regulations adopted pursuant to this section relating to immunization and physical examination requirements. Any family child care home that provides child care services to homeless children and youths at such home under this subsection shall maintain a record on file of all homeless children and youths who have attended such home for a period of two years after such homeless children or youths are no longer receiving child care services at such home.

(k) Any family child care home may provide child care services to a foster child for a period not to exceed forty-five days without complying with any provision in regulations adopted pursuant to this section relating to immunization and physical examination requirements. Any family child care home that provides child care services to a foster child at such home under this subsection shall maintain a record on file of such foster child for a period of two years after such foster child is no longer receiving child care services at such home. For purposes of this subsection, “foster child” means a child who is in the care and custody of the Commissioner of Children and Families and placed in a foster home licensed pursuant to § 17a-114, foster home approved by a child-placing agency licensed pursuant to § 17a-149, facility licensed pursuant to § 17a-145 or with a relative or fictive kin caregiver pursuant to § 17a-114.

(l) For the fiscal years ending June 30, 2022, to June 30, 2026, inclusive, the Commissioner of Early Childhood may issue a license to maintain a family child care home in New Britain, New Haven, Bridgeport, Stamford, Hartford, Danbury or Waterbury in accordance with the provisions of this chapter to a person or group of persons who have partnered with an association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, public or private, to provide child care services in a space provided by such association, organization, corporation, institution or agency, provided such space has been approved by the commissioner and is not in a private family home. The commissioner shall not approve more than one facility in each such city to be used for licenses issued under this subsection. An application for a license under this subsection shall include a copy of the current fire marshal certificate of compliance with the Fire Safety Code, and written verification of compliance with the State Building Code, local zoning and building requirements and local health ordinances. The commissioner may require an applicant for a license under this subsection to comply with additional conditions relating to the health and safety of the children who will be served in such facility. The commissioner may waive any requirement that does not apply to such facility. Any license issued under this subsection shall expire on June 30, 2026, except that the commissioner may suspend or revoke any such license at any time in accordance with the provisions of § 19a-87e.